New rules by the FAA go into effect today, clarifying what is acceptable commercial usage of small unmanned aerial vehicles.
The new rules, formally known as Part 107, allow for some expanded operations based on technology mitigations if you can make the safety case for a waiver of some provisions. Operators can apply for waivers to operate at night, beyond line of sight, above 400 feet and other specific types of operation.
Under Part 107, you may request a waiver of certain provisions starting August 29 if your operations don’t quite fit under the rule’s provisions. On August 29, the FAA will have an online portal you can use to request waivers of applicable Part 107 regulations at www.faa.gov/uas.
Drones must:
- Weigh less than 55 pounds
- Fly up to a maximum of 400 feet in altitude
- At a speed of no more than 100 miles per hour
- Can only be operated during the day.
Seeking Alpha reports the rules could generate more than $82B for the U.S. economy and create more than 100K new jobs over the next decade.
